Foreword

The Treatment Improvement Protocol (TIP) series supports SAMHSA's mission of building resilience and facilitating recovery for people with or at risk for mental or substance use disorders by providing best practices guidance to clinicians, program administrators, and payors to improve the quality and effectiveness of service delivery and, thereby, promote recovery. TIPs are the result of careful consideration of all relevant clinical and health services research findings, demonstrated experience, and implementation requirements. Clinical researchers, clinicians, and program administrators meet to debate and discuss their particular areas of expertise until they reach a consensus on best practices. This panel's work is then reviewed and critiqued by field reviewers.

The talent, dedication, and hard work that TIP panelists and reviewers bring to this highly participatory process have helped bridge the gap between the promise of research and the needs of practicing clinicians and administrators to serve, in the most scientifically sound and effective ways, people who abuse substances. We are grateful to all who have joined with us to contribute to advances in the substance abuse treatment field.

• Pamela S. Hyde, J.D.
  Administrator, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
• Dr. H. Westley Clark, M.D., J.D., M.P.H., CAS, FASAM
  Director
  Center for Substance Abuse Treatment
  Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
• Frances M. Harding
  Director
  Center for Substance Abuse Prevention
  Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
• A. Kathryn Power, M.Ed.
  Director
  Center for Mental Health Services
  Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration